It's The Great Pumpkin, Bobby Goren!
by WendyCR72
Summary: Bobby and Alex wax philosophical about Halloween, Peanuts, and alter egos!


_Hi! It's been so quiet here, I figured I'd try to get things going again. This is just something silly. No beta reader, so any mistakes are mine alone. Read and enjoy._

 _Goren and Eames are not mine nor are the Peanuts characters. I'm just having a little fun and will return them as I had found them._

"Charlie Brown always got a raw deal," Bobby scowled. He then proceeded to steal a fun-size Snickers bar from the leftover candy and shoved it in his mouth. He didn't exactly need it (his weight gain made him a bit self-conscious), but it was Halloween, so he figured what the hell.

He was sitting on Eames' couch, the classic cartoon on the TV. He had come by with some new theories he had thought of regarding their latest case, but Alex was having none of it. It was Halloween and time to have a bit of fun. He would have left, but Alex claimed she needed help keeping the candy bowl filled. He didn't really buy it, but he didn't have candy at his house and didn't want to be there and have the place egged or streamed with toilet paper, so here he was.

And Eames was a bit down, he noted. Apparently plans to go trick or treating with Nathan, Liz, and her brother-in-law David had been canceled since the whole household had the flu.

Bobby noticed a goodie bag overflowing with treats – "for when Nathan feels better" Eames had explained – and felt himself smile at Eames' obvious care for her nephew.

So with the thought of keeping Eames company and lifting her mood, this is how he ended up plying countless neighborhood kids with bagfuls of sweets and then getting saddled with leftover candy (after a dinner of pizza, so he'd be sure to have the indigestion to prove it later on) and watching the perennial cartoon, watching as poor Charlie Brown got a bagful of rocks and a Jack-O-Lantern drawn on his head for his trouble.

Eames reached in the candy bowl and pulled out a tiny Hershey bar. Noting his scowl, Alex tried not to smile. "It's just a cartoon, Bobby. Lighten up."

"But it's true! He was always such a sad sack. It always seemed like no one liked him. And even his own dog mocked him!"

"I always wanted a dog like Snoopy," Alex grinned. "Ever thought about having a dog that could fly a plane or talk to you?"

"Drink a bottle or two of Glenlivet. They'll be talking in no time."

Alex rolled her eyes and swatted his arm.

Bobby played with the wrapper of a 3 Musketeers Bar. His hands were forever busy, Alex noted. She wondered if Bobby would molt out of his skin like a snake if he ever had to sit idle for ten seconds. "Don't you think I'm a bit like Charlie Brown?"

"A bald kid with horrible fashion sense?" Alex sipped her water and stared curiously at her partner.

"No," Bobby sighed. "Someone who always seems to be waiting for the other shoe to drop."

Putting her bottle of water on the table, Alex considered the man before her. "I guess. Like Charlie Brown, you always seem to pick yourself up after a disappointment." Bobby cocked his head, as if pondering Alex's assessment. "But…" a finger tapped at her lower lip, as she thought, "I think you're more like Linus than Charlie Brown."

Bobby almost looked insulted at the thought and Alex couldn't understand why until he said, "So you see me as a…as a guy that sucks his thumb and needs a blanket? Thanks."

Alex's laughter came loud and raucous. Bobby looked as if he would get up from the couch, but Alex's hand stopped him. "No," Alex chuckled. "That's not it."

Bobby took a sip of his soda and frowned. "Well, what then?"

Alex took a breath to quiet her laughter and re-positioned herself on her couch, tucking her legs under her. "Well, for one thing, Linus has hair." She sipped her water again and then smirked at Bobby. His 5 o'clock shadow was fast morphing into a beard, salt and pepper fighting for dominance. He once told her he thought he looked like an old sailor with his beard. She thought it made him look…distinguished. _And okay, sexy._ But she ruthlessly squashed that train of thought.

Bobby let out a gusty sigh. "Is that all?"

Alex ran a hand through her hair and gave a brief head shake. "Nope. Linus also loved his books like a certain detective I know. He could quote obscure facts about pilgrims and Bible passages in the blink of an eye." Finally, Alex saw Bobby really listen to her analysis. She still couldn't believe they were discussing cartoon characters so earnestly, but nothing about them was normal. No use fighting it.

"I…I guess that sounds pretty accurate." Bobby smiled.

"It is." Alex replied. "Linus is smart. He is also…" Alex paused, "very loyal to his friends. Sensitive." Alex swept candy wrappers from her coffee table into a small garbage pail, suddenly feeling a bit ridiculous. And shy, damn it. "Linus always tries to make his friends feel better, just like you did for me tonight." She risked a look in Bobby's direction. "And I appreciate it, Bobby."

Bobby's face darkened to a rosy hue. It always fascinated Alex how easily Bobby could be flustered, so at odds with his "bull in a china shop" investigative methods.

"Quid pro quo," Bobby said softly. "You saved me from a neighborhood full of pissed off kids." He rubbed the back of his neck reflexively.

Suddenly, the TV was filled with the screeching of an indignant Sally, angry to be denied at her stash of Halloween candy. Alex nodded, silently seeming to agree with Sally's outrage.

Bobby watched Eames, then the screen, then looked back at his partner. "I wouldn't have pegged you for a Sally."

Alex picked some lint from her shirt. "What? You think I'm crabby Lucy?"

"Nah. Although she doesn't take any crap from anyone, like a certain someone _I_ know." Bobby explained. Alex gave a nod, ceding Bobby's point. "But you're…kinder than she is. Even wh…when your sarcasm is on overdrive."

"So I'm not Lucy. Okay." Alex replied. "Marcy?"

"Too meek." Bobby declared.

"Peppermint Patty?" Alex pressed.

"Too pushy," Bobby shook his head. "You only press when you really have to. Like on the job. You…respect boundaries." Bobby thought of the many times Eames had tried to help when shit in his personal life hit the fan. She would always respect his demands to trust him, to stay out of things. _Maybe I should have let her in…_ He shoved his introspection aside. Time enough for self-reflection later on.

"Well, I'm not Frieda," Alex huffed. "You're the one with the naturally curly hair, not me." She had always lamented her straight hair.

Bobby smiled. "Maybe…maybe Sally isn't such a bad way to go." He put a fist up to his mouth, a pose he often did when analyzing or in deep thought. "You're both blonde, both hate to be denied your sweets…"

Alex arched a brow at that.

"And you both know your own mind."

Alex found herself laughing again. "Listen to us! Identifying with Peanuts characters. Maybe we are crazy," She threw her head back to rest on the back of the couch and turned her head to meet Bobby's gaze lazily. "But maybe there's something to it. I mean…Sally did have a thing for Linus, right?"

Bobby's eyes darkened. He said nothing for a beat, but his expression was intent on Eames' face. He then sat back and matched Alex's pose. "Y-Yeah. Her 'sweet baboo'." His smile widened.

"Hmm." Alex switched off the lamp then, the only light now coming from the TV as another special played. "Then does that mean we should find a pumpkin patch next year and wait for the Great Pumpkin?"

"I'll bring the candy – and the booze."

Alex bit her lip. "Sounds like a plan…Linus."

 _Happy Halloween!_

END


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